Catching a kinkajou

 “Vertebrates are classified as carnivores based on their skull and tooth structure. The problem with this classification is that many “carnivores” are not—they have diets of strictly or mainly plants. The kinkajou (Potus flavus) is one such “carnivore.” Scientists tried to catch them in traps baited with chicken, assuming that they ate meat because of their tooth structure. Bananas were finally used and were successful. Kinkajous, as it was later found, are exclusively vegetarian, even with a vicious-looking set of teeth. Many other animals (including fruit bats, grizzly bears, and pandas) have teeth that appear to be designed for eating meat but are actually used to eat mainly plants. So if we find a dinosaur, Velociraptor for instance, that has teeth that appear to be designed for eating flesh, it may be that they were used to rend the flesh of melons rather than the flesh of other dinosaurs. We know that all animals were originally to eat only plants (Gen. 1:29–30). The teeth that today, in our fallen world, are used to rip flesh may have once been used to strip leaves from branches or shred plants to be eaten.” Evolution Exposed, Second Ed., Catching a kinkajou, Catchpoole.

Response to comment [from a Christian]:  Hi Serpentdove!  I enjoy seeing things that knock evolution around a bit but I bet there are many who do not!  We haven't got to talk and I have only recently read some of your posts but I wish I could ask you some things in private.. No big deal though.  But you have no pm ability.  How come I can't pm you?  Is that an option?  Sorry to interrupt the topic!"

Hi Rainee. No interruption at all. It seems we never actually talk about the topic at hand. I don't mind (Jn 3:8). Granite doesn't like it.

Sure, I don't mind a "pm" (I'm guessing that means 'personal message' ).

You're right. Some do not enjoy young earth creationist information getting out. What did Dawkins finally come up with? This planet was seeded by :aliens: aliens? It only pushed the problem back. They must believe in evolutionary fairy tales to avoid being responsible to a holy God (Ro 1:23).

"The fruit bat has teeth that are designed for eating fruit, not meat. Evolution would say that the bat evolved from a meat-eating ancestor, but that is based on assumption. Many other animals that are predominantly herbivores have a similar tooth structure." Evolution Exposed, Second Ed. Fruit bat

Response to comment [from a "Christian"]:   [Vertebrates are classified as carnivores based on their skull and tooth structure.] "They aren't classified by what they eat . . . they're classified by their dentition which shows their ancestry. There are plenty of carnivores that are not members of the carnivora."

Can a classification scheme (phylogenetic tree) be called right or wrong?  Or, is it an interpretation of the same evidence as other classification schemes? 

Catching a kinkajou